Discipleship

A Clash Of Worldviews On Marriage

Michael Hardy of The Boston Globe has reviewed the new Fireproof movie.   My concern isn’t whether Mr. Hardy enjoyed the movie cinematically or how many stars he gave it.   My concern is over one paragraph within his review:

Director (Alex) Kendrick seems to care less about his characters’ relationship with each other than their religious fealty.   We start to realize this when Catherine meets a charming doctor at the hospital where she works.   Compared to Caleb, who needs some very worldly help, preferably from a psychiatrist, this doctor is a dream.   But Kendrick is so intent on saving Caleb and Catherine’s sacred covenant that he sabotages this budding romance, forcing Catherine to take Caleb back out of sheer desperation.   One of the film’s songs advises couples who get married to “lock the door and throw away the key.”   That sounds more like prison than holy matrimony.

And therein lies the clash of worldviews on marriage.   Mr. Hardy correctly described Caleb and Catherine’s marriage as a “sacred covenant.”   It’s sacred in that marriage was designed, defined and regulated from the days of the first couple by the Creator of the universe (Genesis 2:24).   The Creator’s Son gave clear indicators of the divine intentions for marriage (Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:3-9).   The Spirit of God continued to reveal just how critical the bond of marriage is throughout the New Testament (Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

I haven’t heard the film’s song that Mr. Hardy references, but I have read Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 19:6.   Whatever doors I have to lock and whatever keys I have to throw away, I’ll cast my lot with the Son of God.

May I encourage you on this issue–and whatever issue you face–to approach life with a worldview shaped by Isaiah 55:8-9?

For more on the questions and complications of marriage, divorce and remarriage, feel free to check out some sermons I’ve preached on the subject.

  • In Search Of The Standard (10.21.07)
    (outline; audio)
  • “As It Was In The Beginning…” (10.21.07)
    (outline; audio)
  • “But I Say To You…” (10.28.07)
    (outline; audio)
  • The Role Of Repentance (10.28.07)
    (outline; audio)
  • What Has God Said About Who Can Marry? (4.13.08)
    (outline; audio)
  • When Marriage Doesn’t Go As Planned (4.13.08)
    (outline; audio)
  • Divine Instructions For Marriage From 1 Corinthians 7 (4.20.08)
    (outline; audio)
  • What Exactly Is “Mental Divorce”? (4.20.08)
    (outline; audio)
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